The present invention relates to stoppers for insulated liquid containing vessels in general. More specifically to a stopper that has interchangeable plugs for sealing and pouring liquid therefrom.
Previously, many types of stoppers have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means to enclose a liquid containing vessel such as a vacuum insulated bottle, a coffee server, carafe, travel container or the like.
A the following prior art did not disclose any patents that possess any of the novelty of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Letsch et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,888 discloses a carafe with an inner container surrounded by a casing. The inner container and the casing have an opening at the top which may be closed by a separate plug. The plug and opening in the container and casing are shaped such that it is possible to fill or empty the inner container while the plug is still in the opening. The plug and container both have mating grooves that provide opposed flow paths into and out of the container. The container also includes a basin around the top for receiving coffee from a coffee maker and the plug has openings to provide a flow path from the basin into the container interior.
Karp in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,703 teaches a travel mug that includes a container and a lid in combination. The container has a handle and an annular lip that has an annulus capable of forming a seal with the top side of the annular lip. A cylindrical well in the lid has a vertical dividing wall such that the lid may be readily rotated by hand. The retaining arms extend from the underside of the lid and engage the underside of the annular lip to pull it into tight abutment. Diametrically opposed gaps in the lip act as passageway for the retaining arms. Similarly diametrically opposed notches in the lid align with the gaps to allow liquid to be poured from the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,761 issued to Wissinger is for an insulated container and cover combination that has an outer container shell terminating at an opening with a surrounding edge. An inner container shell is nested within the, outer container shell and has an opening surrounded by a continuous edges in abutment with the surrounding edge. The inner container shell is spaced inwardly and is out of contact with the outer shell. A cover mounting assembly is attached to the outer shell adjacent to the opening. A single seal, made of elastomeric material, has a sealing surface disposed at the interface of the shells Locating rings define the removable cover mounting assembly and locate the single sealing ring on the inner and outer shells.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited design patents.
Stoppers for vacuum bottles, liquid containing vessels and the like utilizing external threads on the outside surface were previously rather simple in their construction being screwed off to allow the contents to be poured from the mouth of the container. In some instances a separate cup was screwed on the threads and a stopper plug was manually inserted into the opening of the vessel. Today much more sophisticated stoppers are in common usage. Normally the lid is turned a small amount to allow the liquid to be expelled and retighten by simple reversal of the lid. Little thought has been given to a stopper that has the capability to be manufactured in such a manner as to permit the tooling to produce part of the stopper as standard and then have options as to the method of operation by replacing a separate and discrete plug that forms the assembly.
It is therefore a primary object of the invention to produce a stopper having interchangeable plugs with each plug operating in a different manner. This invention incorporates a stopper body made up of two components mated together and a annular gasket for sealing against the neck of the vessel. An inner shell interfaces with the plug and has a smooth contour for ease of pouring and threads on a lower portion for attaching a plug. An outer shell is attached to the inner shell and incorporates a set of threads that interface with opposed threads of a ordinary liquid storage container.
An important object of the invention is directed to the two different plugs that fit into the common stopper body. The first plug is a twist to pour type, and as the name suggests, it operates by twisting a hollow main core that rotates on the threads of a lower portion of the stopper body inner shell. Slight rotational movement of the plug raises the plug sufficiently to expose a flow path under a peripheral core gasket allowing the liquid within the container to flow freely therefrom. The second plug operates by pushing a button in the top cover a first time locking the plug in an open position. When pushing the button the second time the plug returns to its closed position by spring pressure and retains a liquid tight seal. This first approach is called a push to pour plug.
Another object of the invention is that that the twist to pour embodyment includes a lid on the main core that creates a dead air space producing an insulating barrier that prolongs the desired temperature gradient of the liquid stored within the container.
Yet another object of the invention is that a manufacturer may fabricate a single stopper body and offer either or both plugs as options or may market either combination according to what the public demands. This object saves considerable tooling expense in the initial investment while reducing the speculation of the products acceptance.
These and other objects and advantages of the; present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.